TRAVEL
In February, Tom Leahy of Chicago and John Bokum of
Oak Park, Illinois, brought their Lincoln documents to the
project offices in Springfield where Research Associate
Kelley Clausing scanned them. Thanks to both gentlemen.
Also in February, Director Daniel Stowell and
Assistant Editor Ed Bradley visited ten repositories and
private collectors in Pennsylvania and New Jersey. For their
assistance, the project would like to thank Jack Gumbrecht
at the Historical Society of Pennsylvania in Philadelphia; Linda
Wisniewski of the Library Company of Philadelphia; Margery
N. Sly of the Presbyterian Historical Society in Philadelphia;
Nathan Raab, Jonas Raab, and Steven Raab at the Raab
Collection in Philadelphia; John Pollack and Marissa
Hendricks at the University of Pennsylvania in Philadelphia;
Louis Kessler at Congregation Mikveh Israel in Philadelphia;
Richard Rizzo in Edison, New Jersey; Julia Telonidis and
Maureen O’Rourke at the New Jersey Historical Society in
Newark; Michael D. Freda in Belleville, New Jersey; and
Jude Pfister at the Morristown National Historical Park in
Morristown, New Jersey.
In March, Daniel Stowell scanned a Lincoln
document owned by Michael Zecher at Zecher’s home in
Harlan, Iowa. The project thanks Mr. Zecher for his
assistance. Also in March, Assistant Editor Chris Schnell
scanned two Lincoln documents owned by Jeff Deremiah of
Decatur, Illinois. Thanks to him as well.
LINCOLN’S RELUCTANT
RECOMMENDATION
The editors of the Papers of Abraham Lincoln periodically
check online auctions for new documents that fall within
the project’s scope. Occasionally, we find surprising new
documents in unlikely places. In February, a new document
appeared on eBay from a private seller in Providence, Rhode
Island. According to the listing, the seller found the letter in a
bundle of others in an attic in Newport. We were unable to
contact the seller, but the winning bidder, Gary McAvoy of
Seattle, Washington, graciously provided the project with a
high-resolution color image of the document he had
purchased.
The document is interesting for several reasons. First,
it is a relatively early Lincoln letter, written in December 1849,
after Lincoln had finished his one lackluster term in Congress.
Second, it is a long-lost enclosure to a known Lincoln letter.
Third, it demonstrates both Lincoln’s magnanimity in agreeing
to provide a recommendation for someone whom he
believed had openly criticized him and Lincoln’s caution in
the rather muted letter of support.
On April 25, 1849, George W. Rives wrote to ex-
Congressman Abraham Lincoln, asking for his assistance in
obtaining an appointment as an Indian agent in Minnesota.
Rives was a 34-year-old farmer living in Paris, the county
seat of Edgar County in east-central Illinois bordering
Indiana.1 Lincoln responded on May 7 that Rives overrated
Lincoln’s “capacity to serve you. Not one man recommended
by me has yet been appointed to any thing, little or big, except
a few who had no opposition.” Since President Zachary
Taylor’s inauguration in March, Lincoln had been trying to
get an appointment for Anson G. Henry in Minnesota, without
success. He declined to risk Henry’s chances by supporting
another candidate for a position in Minnesota.2
During May and June of 1849, Lincoln actively
campaigned to become the Commissioner of the General
Land Office and asked many friends for their support. His
primary opponent was Chicago attorney Justin Butterfield.
The contest between Lincoln and Butterfield revealed and
exacerbated divisions among Illinois Whigs, and Rives may
have supported Butterfield. President Taylor appointed
Butterfield to the post, and Lincoln was disappointed
personally and worried that the appointment would
undermine the Whigs in Illinois.
On November 7, Rives wrote to Lincoln asking for
a letter of recommendation. Lincoln hesitated before replying,
then sent the following letter on December 15.3
Springfield, Decr 15, 1849
G. W. Rives, Esq
Dear Sir:
On my return from Kentucky, I found your letter of the
7th of November, and have delayed answering it till now, for the
reason I now briefly state. From the beginning of our
acquaintance I had felt the greatest kindness for you, and had
supposed it was reciprocated on your part. Last summer, under
circumstances which I mentioned to you, I was painfully
constrained to withhold a recommendation which you desired;
and shortly afterwards I learned, in such way as to believe it, that
you were indulging open abuse of me. Of course my feelings
were wounded. On receiving your last letter, the question
occurred whether you were attempting to use me, at the same
time you would injure ^me,^ or whether you might not have been
misrepresented to me. If the former, I ought not to answer you; if
the latter I ought, and so I have remained in suspense. I now
enclose you a letter which you may use if you think fit.
Yours &c.
A. Lincoln
Roy P. Basler and his colleagues included this letter
in The Collected Works of Abraham Lincoln, published in
1953, and noted that the letter of recommendation that
Lincoln mentions in the last sentence was “presumably not
